Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Gates Glidden Drills

I know that all the manufacturers are encouraging you to shape the canal oriface with their special oriface shaping files, but I still like to use the gates glidden drills to open the upper third of the root canal system.

Call me "old fashioned" but why anyone would want to pay twice as much for an instrument that takes twice as long to do the same job is beyond me. The gates is non-end cutting and also improves the direct line access into the canal, which will help prevent separation of your rotary files.The shaft of the gates is somewhat flexible and usually, if there is a separation, it will separate high on the shaft and is easily removed with a pair of cotton pliers.

If I had to guess, I would guess that nineteen out of twenty times a gates glidden drill breaks, it breaks high on the shaft. That being said, here is a case where the gates separated in the mid-shank area. When this occurs, it just the same as if a rotary file separates. It can be just as difficult and time consuming.

Pre-Op #19

Gates Glidden #3 separated in MB canal.

Technique for removal is the same as with a rotary instrument. Visualize it, ultrasonic instrumentation around the instrument until it loosens, and retrieve.

All said, I would much rather use a gates glidden to open the upper third of the canal for all the reasons described above. Can anyone give me a better reason to use a rotary file to do the same thing?

Well even i prefer Gates, So quick and efficient as it is, never has created any problems during retrieval. But try comparing a radiograph of a Gates prepared root canal and that prepared by rotary NiTi..The canal shape is better maintained with Rotary NiTi and the obturations look more professional! The only problem i faced with Gates is that the 2 No. drill breaks very easily every now and then, where as the orifice shapers that i use last longer. All said and done, i would still prefer Gates glidden drills! Thanks. Kriti. India.

Dear all, I guess you are in the US and therfore you cannot have acces to an instrument called Pre-RaCe (either in Sst or in NiTi). If I remember well they are available in 6/8/10% tapers. They do the job of a GGD with the advantage that you can have a parietal pression to clean the walls of even "flats" canals. These Pre-RaCe have a special non-threading design to prevent screwing-in in the canal. Oscar, Switzerland

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